


fire, ready, aim

by safetypinned_fashion_statement



Category: Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys - My Chemical Romance (Album)
Genre: Background Relationships, Crushes, Getting Together, Guns, How Do I Tag, Marriage, Metaphors, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Other, Pining, Self-Indulgent, Short & Sweet, at least i hope so, listen idk how to describe this, maybe a little bit of mcr references, party is a perfectionist, rayguns actually, the OCs are pretty important, this is all over the place, this is the first fic i've ever written and i don't regret a thing, trust me it's nice!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-13 15:22:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29653335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/safetypinned_fashion_statement/pseuds/safetypinned_fashion_statement
Summary: Party Poison meets an old friend. Said old friend tries their best to help them with a crush on one Fun Ghoul.
Relationships: Fun Ghoul/Party Poison (Danger Days), Party Poison & Original Killjoy Character(s) (Danger Days)
Kudos: 7





	fire, ready, aim

**Author's Note:**

> okay so. ladies gentlemen and killjoys. this is the first actual fic i've written for anything ever. so excuse any jarring mistakes. i had fun!! hope you do too. 
> 
> title is from "fire ready aim" by green day!
> 
> kudos & comments are greatly appreciated <3

It is a generally agreed-upon fact that Party Poison is one of the best shots is the Zones. This kind of title doesn't earn you a shiny golden trophy or a ten percent discount at your local Dead Pegasus. What it does earn you, however, is a substantial body count. (Feel free to interpret that however – it works both ways.) And, well, probably a fair amount of respect from your fellow rebels.

Party is absentmindedly shooting at crumpled old Power Pup cans, decorating the dirty metal with constellations of blast marks. It's uncharacteristically hot, even for the desert, and they're bored out of their mind. They glance now and then in the direction of the Diner. Jet and Kobra are off on a supply run, Ghoul is tinkering with some explosives inside and Party knows better than to disturb him in his weapon-making trance.

With a well-trained eye and an air of disinterest, Party aims and fires at the cans, letting their mind wander. There's something that tends to happen when they allow themselves to get lost in thought – their brain, slowly and surely and inevitably, drifts to Fun Ghoul. It's not even a world-shattering realization anymore – it's just something that happens. Almost a fucking habit. Party has already (albeit begrudgingly) accepted the fact that he's hopelessly in pastel with his raven-haired crewmate. Destroya help them.

Zonerunners fall in love all the time. Sometimes you end up making out in the backseat of a car, sometimes you let your feelings fade like everything else in the blazing sun, sometimes you get your spray-painted heart obliterated into pieces. It's a matter of chance – or luck, or fate, if you believe in that sort of thing.

They snap back to reality when something catches their eye on the horizon – small and distant at first, but advancing at high speeds.

This might mean trouble. Party instinctively grips their raygun tighter, mind sharp and eyes alert once again. It's highly unlikely that it's Jet and Kobra coming back in the Trans Am, since they only set out an hour or so ago.

As the figure moves closer, they sigh in relief. It's a single rider on a motorbike, and a familiar one at that. Party can just barely make out the strands of neon-blue hair falling out from under their white helmet and the patches of vibrant color on their battered leather jacket.

It's none other than Code Zero, a lanky, gap-toothed Killjoy they'd met a few years back at Dr D's, along with their small nomadic crew – the Vagrants. Zero has a real knack for fixing, re-purposing and re-inventing things. They could probably build an entire fucking airplane out of a pile of scrap metal, fly it all the way to the East Coast, and then, if that wasn't satisfactory, cover the machine in intricate drawings, not unlike those you could sometimes admire in old magazines. (The Witch had gifted the lucky bastard with artistic skills to rival Party's. The two should hang out sometime and paint a mural together, Party thinks.)

They come to a screeching halt in front of the Diner.

“Well, well, well, if it isn't Party Poison. So we meet again, huh? Long time no see. What're you up to?” Zero hops off the motorbike, takes of their helmet and shakes their bangs out of their eyes.

“I'd love to ask you the same question, pretty boy. Whatcha doing here?” Party grins and cocks an eyebrow.

“Oh, me 'n my crew were passing by. We're settin' up camp near here. Lovely views, by the way. Thought I'd drop by and pay a visit to an old friend. So, what's up? Where's the rest of the gang?”

“Looks like we're neighbors now, huh? Jet 'n Kobra are out on a run. Ghoul's... Ghoul's doing Ghoul stuff. Y'know, explosives.” Party points towards the Diner and shrugs.

“That's shiny. 'M guessing there's not much for you to do right now, judging from the way you've been shootin' intently at these perfectly innocent containers.”

“They deserve it, baby. And how's it going for your lot? Haven't heard from Point Blank or Dead Daisy for quite a while. Any juicy gossip from the Vagrants?”

“Oh, about that,” Zero blushes a little and smiles fondly. “Me 'n Daisy got engaged last week. Still can't believe how she manages to put up with me. I hit the jackpot, really.” They show off a handmade bracelet, decorated with colorful beads and their initials.

“Now that's news! Best 'f luck to the Zones' hottest new couple!” Part winks and claps their hands. “Damn, I gotta tell the others. It's not every day we hear 'bout a marriage 'round here.”

Zero smiles wider in response. People like them look nice when they smile. “Yeah, not everybody gets t' find that special someone. 'M just really lucky, I suppose.”

They're instantly reminded of Ghoul. Bloody Ghoul. They can't help but feel just a little bit jealous. If only Party had the guts to make a move, if only...

Obviously, it's risky, it's all too risky, the stakes seem too high for them to ever dare to try.

And that's fine, really. Party's fine. They have a rule: they don't fire unless they're certain that they're going to hit. You can't go around blasting at everything that moves. Missing the mark can be a lot worse than not shooting at all. And sometimes you've got to accept that the bullseye is too far away to aim properly. Sometimes you need to walk away and look for a different target. It's not always fair. But that's fine. That's fine, really. Right?

“Hello? Hello? Earth to Party?”

Damn you, Zero.

“Uh, yeah? 'M sorry, got kinda lost in thought there,” they explain hurriedly, trying to appear as nonchalant as humanly possible.

“What was that about? Wait- you were thinkin' about a special someone, weren't you?”

“No, I wasn't- I really wasn't-”

“Yeah, y'definitely were. You're a horrible, horrible liar, Party. So, who's the lucky man?”

“I... Ghoul's- I wasn't...”

Zero raises their eyebrows.

“I don't- he's- I just- for fuck's sake, I really played m'self like that.” Party shakes their head, laughing in defeated disbelief.

“You absolutely did. So, tell me all about it! C'mon, I have time. Loads 'f it, in fact,” Zero leans on their motorbike.

“Why would I even tell y'about- ” they start, but realize with a jolt that they want to tell someone about Ghoul. Opening up helps you deal with problems, and all that. “Well. 'S kinda complicated. Uh. Not really, though. I just. Like him. Have liked him for a while. That's it.”

Well. That's one way to put it. Party can't possibly choke out all their feelings for Fun Ghoul in one stammering speech. They can't even find the words. But Zero seems to understand – they're smart, almost too smart for this hit-and-run life. Party wonders absently if the blue-haired Killjoy misses the times before the Desert and the 'Crows. Back then, they could've finished university, could've been an engineer or artist-

But it's best not to dwell on what could've been, on what was Before, because that's the best way to drive yourself crazy. They've all seen their fair share of Zonerunners who lost themselves to this sort of misplaced nostalgia.

Zero sighs.

“Y'know you have a bit 'f a femme fatale reputation, right, Party? Ev'ryone's been in pastel with you at some point, probably. Why d'you think you don't have a chance with him?”

“Why would I have a chance with him? 'S not enough for me to be pretty 'n smile. Won't work here. He's not like that.”

“Look. I used to think the same 'bout Daisy. That she's way outta my league, I mean. I was scared she'd make fun 'f me. Or worse. Somehow, one night, I told Blank, and then he told me to cross my heart and just shoot my shot. Witch, I was so nervous. But I did. 'N look at me now. Not t' mention, Blank – that fuckin' scoundrel – later revealed he knew Daisy liked me too. From the start.”

“Yeah, I get that. But there's a risk, right? 'M terrified of losing him completely. I can't do this to myself, to my crew. It'd be so selfish 'f me. 'S not worth the potential catastrophe. I'm not that lucky, I can't... shoot without aiming properly, y'know?” Party fidgets with their raygun.

“You're like that with everything, aren't ya? You need to be totally sure that stuff's going to turn out the exact way you want it to be. Y'don't like risks 'cause you feel responsible for everyone 'n everything around you. That's a stellar thing when you're a leader, but a disaster when you're a person. I don't really know how t' help ya, Party. 'S not like I can reprogram your brain. But you're not gonna resolve this unless you fire blindly for once. This ain't a hit you can plan out. And you're going to regret not trying once you can't try anymore. Nothing is promised here.”

“I... I suppose. You're right, y'know. I mean, it's pretty obvious. Uh. Thanks for the advice, Zero. I appreciate that.”

“Anytime!” Zero claps their leather-clad hands. “Nice chattin' with you, but I think I've got to go. Me 'n Daisy 'n Blank still have work to be done. Blank's gonna kick my ass for taking so long. Might drop by again soon, with the whole crew, to see your lot. Jet and Kobra too. We've got some catchin' up to do. So, until next time!”

Zero puts on their helmet, mounts their motorbike, starts the engine and speeds off into the distance again with a final salute, quickly vanishing over the blurry horizon.

Taking one last glance in their direction, Party mutters something along the lines of a prayer and heads inside the Diner.

***

“Well, well, well, if it isn't Code Zero. Haven't talked to ya in a while.”

The Trans Am parks next to the colorful old van that serves as the Vagrants' portable home.

“Right back 't you. Didn't expect to see you here. What's up?” Zero is sitting on the ground in front of the van, looking up from a thick notepad resting on their lap. Party has no idea where they get their art supplies.

Fun Ghoul opens the door on the passenger side, crawls out and shields his eyes from the sun.

“Kobra wanted to meet up with Point Blank and you over some spare parts. I dunno the details. Kobra, you take it from here.”

“Actually,” Kobra pipes up from the backseat, “I'd love to get straight t' business.”

As if on cue, Blank emerges from behind the van. He towers over the other Killjoys – Party mentally takes a note to never get on his bad side. Ghoul looks like a child next to him.

Kobra joins Ghoul and stretches his legs. Party soon follows suit. “Jet, you coming?”

“Yeah, yeah, sure,” Jet grumbles. He's still a little pissed at Party for waking him up in the middle of the night.

Kobra marches up to Blank, all business-like. “So,” he starts, but Party tunes out the rest of what he's saying and turns to Zero, who stands up to greet them.

“Where's Daisy?”

“Inside, sleepin'. She's still a lil' weak from that ugly infection,” Zero nods in the van's direction. They look significantly older and more tired than they did when they last saw each other. Their hair is messy and their face is worn. Party can probably can say the same things about themself.

“Oh. 'M glad she managed to make it out, though. How're you?”

“Fine, I'm guessin'. Past few months have been kinda rough, not gonna lie. But, well, we have each other. There's nothin' more I could ask for than to have Daisy by my side. 'N Blank too, obviously, even though he's been a bit absent lately. What about you?”

“Well, about that. I need to thank you for somethin'. Me 'n Ghoul have been dating for a while – it's been over a year, actually. 'N I'm thinking of proposing soon. He's- he's all I could ever dream of. It's- it's embarrassing it took me so long to tell him how I feel,” Party subconsciously glances over at their partner, who's laughing at something Jet said.

Zero laughs and mumbles something incoherent, then looks back at them with an earnest smile.

“Thank the Witch. I'm happy for you, Party. I really am. 'S all worth it, see? It wasn't that hard.” 

“Not everybody gets to find that special someone. 'M just really lucky, I suppose.”


End file.
